Cameron Defends His Criticism of Pakistan

TNYT

New Delhi, 30 July 2010: On Thursday in India, Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain defended remarks he had made a day earlier about the need for Pakistan to not give haven to terrorist groups. On Wednesday, Mr. Cameron said, after a speech in the Indian city of Bangalore, “We want to see a strong and a stable and a democratic Pakistan, but we cannot tolerate in any sense the idea that this country is allowed to look both ways and is able in any way to promote the export of terror, whether to India or whether to Afghanistan, or anywhere else in the world.”

 

Asked by Faisal Islam of Britain’s Channel 4 News on Thursday if his remarks were prompted by the raw intelligence contained in the reports published by WikiLeaks this week, Mr. Cameron said: No. The point is this, that to be fair to Pakistan, they have made progress in terms of trying to drive out of their country terrorist groups that are both damaging to Pakistan itself, but also damaging to others including Britain in Afghanistan and Britain — the British people back at home.

 

 

He also gave Pakistan credit for progress in cracking down of terrorist groups, but suggested that the country still has work to do, saying: They have made progress, but obviously we want to keep that progress going and it’s important for everyone to understand that it’s not acceptable for there to be within Pakistan, support for terrorist groups that can do so much damage, as I say, in Pakistan itself, but also in other parts of the world.

 

The British prime minister’s comments sparked furious rebuttals from Pakistani officials. Writing on The Guardian’s Web site on Wednesday night, Wajid Shamsul Hasan, Pakistan’s high commissioner in Britain, called Mr. Cameron’s remarks “completely contrary to the realities on the ground.” He also suggested that they might have been prompted by the WikiLeaks disclosures, writing:

 

One would have hoped that the British prime minister would have considered Pakistan’s enormous role in the war on terror and the sacrifices it has made since 9/11. He seems to be more reliant on information based on intelligence leaks, despite it lacking credibility or corroborating proof. A bilateral visit aimed at attracting business could have been conducted without damaging the prospects of regional peace.

 

 

His remarks have come soon after the leak of U.S. military documents about the war in Afghanistan and the alleged involvement of Pakistan’s security institutions. As far as Pakistan’s role in the war is concerned, it is sufficient to quote the Persian proverb: “Fragrance does not need recommendations of a perfume seller.” The sacrifices endured by Pakistan are enormous. Since 2001 more than 2,700 members of the security forces have laid down their lives and more than 9,000 have been severely wounded. These figures far exceed the total casualties suffered by NATO allies in the region over the same period.

 

The Pakistani diplomat went on to place the blame for militant Islam in Pakistan and Afghanistan squarely on the shoulders of Western countries, like the United States and Britain, and even seemed to suggest that WikiLeaks might have been involved in a conspiracy to make Pakistan look bad:

 

For the West, it may seem as though terrorism began on 9/11. But Pakistan’s experience started back when the Soviet troops occupied Afghanistan. The invasion posed a threat to the “free world”, so we were told, and Pakistan was declared a “bulwark against Communism.” We are still struggling with the devastating and economically crippling fallout with limited resources and in an environment of mistrust.

 

We should not forget that the resistance offered by the Afghans against the Soviets mesmerized the West so much that it bestowed the title of “mujahedeen” upon them. The new madrasas — in reality, more like guerrilla training centers — were financed in Afghanistan and Pakistan by the free world to recruit and train religiously fanatic elements as mujahedeen. The so-called intelligence leaks that allege Pakistani involvement do not have any credibility. The timing of the leaks is instructive.

 

In an interview with BBC News on Thursday, Mr. Cameron refused to retreat from his criticism, saying, “I think it’s important to speak frankly about the problems as you see them. I mean I think that is what people expect of their government; I think it’s the right thing to do.” He added, “As I said yesterday, it is not acceptable to have those within Pakistan who are supporting terrorists groups that can do so much damage to their own country and to British people, whether in Afghanistan or back home in Britain.”